On the Rise: These Fantasy Players are About To Heat Up

There are always a few surprise performances each week in the world of fantasy football (running back Quinton Ganther went for 93 total yards and two touchdowns Sunday), but the horses that got you to the postseason showed up in full force for the first weekend of the playoffs.

Chris Johnson continues to make a case for the MVP award. The Titans’ second-year running back has now scored 10 touchdowns in his last seven contests and is averaging an eye-popping 155.1 total yards per game.

As a side note, former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk’s record for total yards in a season (2,429 in 1999) is within striking distance. Johnson needs to pick up just 413 yards in three games (137.6 yards/game) to set the record.

Will he do it? Keep in mind, Johnson closes out his 2009 campaign against the Dolphins and Chargers and a road game against the Seahawks.

Analysis: Despite a tough Week 15 matchup against the Steelers, Rodgers closes out 2009 with games against Seattle and Arizona. Remember, if safety Troy Polamalu is out for Week 15, that matchup gets much friendlier.

Analysis: Schaub looks to be the top fantasy quarterback heading down the stretch for owners in leagues that play their championship game in Week 16. St. Louis and Miami rank in the bottom 10 in points allowed to opposing fantasy quarterbacks.

Analysis: Two top 10 matchups to close out the year for a quarterback who’s been struggling to find the end zone is not a good sign. The only ray of hope here is Week 16 when Palmer gets a chance to light up Kansas City.

Analysis: After his performance in Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, look for former CFL running back Chris Jennings to start assuming more of the workload. He’s an excellent waiver-wire addition you should be targeting this week.

Analysis: Forte is making a strong case for bust of the year, so owners shouldn’t hesitate to bench him during his Week 15 and 16 matchups. Week 17 against Detroit is a solid play, but many owners will have wrapped up their seasons by that point.

Analysis: With nine rushing touchdowns in his last seven games, it will be tough for LT owners to consider sending their first-round pick to the bench. Outside of the tough remaining schedule, keep in mind that Tomlinson is averaging just 57.3 rushing yards per game over his past six outings.

Analysis: Two home games against soft fantasy pass defenses make Burleson an excellent WR2/WR3 option in Weeks 15 and 17. But be very cautious about his Week 16 game at Green Bay. Cornerback Charles Woodson will make life very difficult for Burleson.

Analysis: No wide receiver has a better remaining schedule than Driver and Jennings. In addition, they’ll be playing for the rights to the first wild-card spot, so there’s virtually no chance of them sitting out the final game(s).

Analysis: Chambers was a fun story for a few weeks, but fantasy owners need to look for more reliability during the playoffs. His upcoming schedule is a disaster, and a Week 17 meeting with Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey means you must leave him on the bench.